Microsoft Build 2026: From AI models to a Copilot super app

Microsoft opens its annual Build conference in San Francisco this week, aiming to rebuild trust with developers at a moment of significant change. Tom Warren reports for The Verge that sources point to a packed agenda, including new AI models, a revamped Windows developer experience, and a so-called Copilot “super app.”

Windows gets a developer-focused makeover

Microsoft is expected to unveil a new Windows 11 experience tailored specifically to developers. According to Warren’s sources, it will feature a distraction-free environment with pre-installed tools, apps, and scripts. The company is also continuing its broader effort to rewrite parts of Windows 11 to improve performance.

A larger focus on local AI models running directly on Windows hardware is also expected. This would allow developers to use on-device computing power instead of relying on cloud-based AI services. The conference will also address Windows support for new chips, including Nvidia’s RTX Spark and continued work with Qualcomm on Windows on Arm.

New AI models and the Copilot super app

Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleiman is set to introduce MAI-Thinking-1, described as the company’s first in-house reasoning model. Unlike many competing models, it was not built using distillation, meaning it did not learn from the outputs of another AI model. Additional models, including MAI-Image-2.5 and MAI-Image-2.5-Flash, are also expected.

The Copilot super app, first reported by Fortune, aims to bring Microsoft’s various AI assistants into a single interface. A leaked screenshot circulating before the conference is, according to sources, merely a mockup prepared for demonstration purposes. The app will not be available at Build and is not expected in preview before late summer.

GitHub will also be on the agenda. Warren wrote previously that the platform is facing serious challenges at Microsoft, including staff departures, outages, and security incidents. Build offers Microsoft an opportunity to address those concerns directly.

The Build keynote begins on Tuesday, June 2, at 9:30 AM PT.